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How Much Does Insulin Cost?
Countless people live with diabetes and struggle to buy insulin on a daily basis! According to VeryWell Health, “one in four patients say that they ration their insulin because they can’t afford it.”
How much does insulin cost though? What is the average price people pay for the treatment? Additionally, how much does it cost pharmaceutical companies to create insulin?
What Is Insulin?
Insulin, for some diabetics, is a necessity. In fact, insulin can be a matter of life or death. Why is insulin so important? It is a hormone produced in the pancreas that helps turn glucose or sugars into fuel for the body. Without it, one’s body cannot function.
There are two types of diabetes. Type one and type two diabetes both relate to blood sugar and insulin, but treatment for each type may vary.
With type one diabetes, individuals cannot produce insulin naturally. Due to this inability, one’s glucose or blood sugar can escalate or decrease substantially.
For those who live with type one diabetes, insulin treatment is required. Type one diabetics will eventually die due to their diabetes without insulin.
Type two diabetes patients may still have the ability to produce some insulin naturally. In turn, some may have to take insulin while others can use additional medications to treat the condition.
How Is Insulin Taken?
Insulin is taken either through a syringe or pen (shot), through a pump (which is connected via a tube placed in one’s body), or through an inhaler.
Healthline has stated that boxes of insulin pens vary in price based on brand and quantity. Some boxes can cost more than $650.
Syringes and pumps use vials of insulin. Business Insider has reported that the approximate cost for an insulin vial is $285. A majority of diabetics can use up to 4 vials each month. These numbers are staggering!
Why Is Insulin So Expensive?
According to VeryWell Health, more than 7 million diabetes patients take insulin every day. One might think that since the treatment is needed by so many that it may be affordable, but patients spend a considerable amount of money each year for the treatment.
Diabetes treatment on average costs patients thousands of dollars per year. It is not surprising that some feel that they may need to ration their insulin supply.
At one point in time, insulin was not as expensive. The treatment has been around since the early 1920s. Insulin has been used by diabetics for decades and has not dramatically changed.
What has made insulin so expensive in recent years? The three core pharmaceutical companies that make insulin have tremendous power. They understand the importance of the treatment and the consequences that can occur if diabetics do not take insulin.
In other words, they know that insulin is a life or death product for type one diabetics. Consequently, they recognized that they can charge expensive fees because the treatment is so valuable.
Alarmingly, pharmaceutical companies do not have to report how they chose their prices. In turn, there is no legal maximum price point.
The good news is most insurances cover insulin and can reduce costs for many people. Some individuals cannot afford an inclusive insurance plan though and have to pay costs out-of-pocket.
How Much Does It Cost to Manufacture Insulin?
The approximate cost pharmaceutical companies spend on creating insulin is difficult to determine. Insulin manufacturers are very secretive about overall costs.
According to a BMJ Global Health study conducted by Dzintar Gotham, Melissa J. Barber, and Andrew Hill, costs related to insulin production include $24,760 per kilogram of naturally produced human insulin and $68,757 per kilogram of insulin glargine.
As stated above, insulin is a treatment that has been available for nearly a century. Costs to produce have decreased over the decades. Since there are only three major producers that control the world’s insulin supply, these companies have a lot of leeway in determining insulin costs.
Where to Buy Insulin
Insulin is purchased through pharmacies. It can be prescribed or acquired over the counter.
Fortunately, insulin can be ordered online as well. With online pharmacies, patients can select their prescription and purchase it conveniently. The treatment will be delivered directly to their home.
Some online pharmacies have the ability to sell insulin products for a more affordable price than traditional in-person pharmacies. Additionally, if the online pharmacy is located outside of the United States, prices can be significantly lower.
With Canadian Pharmacy Online, patients can order diabetes-related products for an economical cost, and these treatments can be shipped to the U.S. quickly within 5 business days.
Purchasing insulin should not be a financial burden on families. Life saving treatments should be of a minimal cost and easily accessible. With a drug as commonplace as insulin, its average price point is astounding.
Get Insulin For A Great Price Today!
Insulin in the United States and other countries can be very expensive. This has led people living with diabetes to struggle to pay for their daily supplies. Investing in your health and wellbeing should not cost you a fortune.
The price of life-saving drugs should be the least of your concerns. Treatments like insulin impact millions of lives on a daily basis.
Due to this influence, insulin’s three main drug manufacturers have taken advantage of pricing.
The great news is that we have insulin options for you that are affordable! How much does insulin cost with us? Ordering through our online pharmacy can save you hundreds of dollars per month.
To begin an order, we invite you to explore our diabetes products today.